Once upon a time, in any country in the world, newspapers and television ads were the traditional options for finding a stable job. It was enough to send one’s resume and a cover letter and that’s all. And nowadays, has it changed? Has the expansion of the internet changed everything? To tell the truth, this time is far from over.
This classic method of job search is always valid. This should not be expected to change. However, the web has been able to make improvements, and that is a very good point. Businesses can now post ads online about a vacancy, for free with no cost. Online freelancing platforms became so popular in recent years. The principle is the same as the traditional method, but everything is done via internet. The site deals with connecting businesses and freelancers, and in theory, no border limit is imposed. Madagascar is no exception. What are the online freelancing platforms that support the banking regulations of this big island? How to take full advantage of it? First of all, let’s talk about how these online freelancing platforms work.
Basic Principles of Online Freelancing Platforms
A lot of people use these platforms especially to earn a little extra and round out some ends of the month. But there are also those who depend on it, and who manage to get all that they need. How do these online freelancing platforms work? To define in one sentence, the platform serves a virtual market where employers and workers can “meet” and “talk” about work.
Through the platform, the client (a company or an individual) posts a project and the freelancers give their best rate and turnaround time to complete the project after agreeing with the rate. The client chooses one of the proposals according to his convenience. Once the work is done and if he is satisfied with the work, he pays through the platform. But if you are a freelancer living in Madagascar, how do you know which online freelancing platform works in Madagascar?
The importance of payment methods
The payment is one of big challenge element in terms of freelancing project. The employer or outsourcer must ensure that work is done as agreed before paying anything. And the freelancer, must be sure that he will actually be paid for the work he will do. Therefore, it is important to choose a freelancing platform who have an escrow payment system to protect you. That’s why the site asks a fee on every project done. The other issue is whether the online payment method is available in Madagascar or not. Until now, only Payoneer and Skrill are the online payments available in Madagascar. PayPal is the most widely used in the world with its very fast instant payment, but unfortunately Madagascar is among the countries which PayPal does not support. If you do not have a Payoneer account yet, you can quickly register here.
Thus, since they use Payoneer as one of their online payment methods, the following freelancing platforms are used in Madagascar. Any outsourcers and companies around the world can benefit from Malagasy freelancers and their skills.
Online freelancing platforms for Malagasy freelancers are:
Upwork
Upwork is one of the most popular freelancing platforms for online job. With these tens of millions of registered users in 180 countries, Upwork provides a large part of the online job market on the web. Upwork has a user-friendly interface and freelancers can register for free to quickly apply for any job that matches their profile. Jobs can be easily found through an excellent search tool, while the employer can filter their searches to find a freelancer for a specific job. Upwork has a reliable rating system, to verify if an outsourcer or freelancer has good reviews or not.
As millions of users use Upwork, competition will be tough, especially for a new freelancer. But once they provide high quality work, they will be more likely to be contacted by another client, for a new project.
Do you want to work at home or remotely and want to use Upwork? You can quickly register here for free just in few minutes.
Freelancer
This freelancing platform has pretty much the same functionality as Upwork. For example, the search function is available to any user, whether you are an employer or a self-employed person. Many employers confirm that this site is an easy way to quickly find and hire professional freelancers for a specific field of expertise. Descriptions, reviews and comments help a lot in the process of finding a customer or freelancer.
Payment methods are very transparent, with the dedicated financial panel. This will be done at no additional cost, other than the fee you must pay to the platform. Basically, the whole process is safe.
Do you want to do freelancing job as a career? Use Freelancer and quickly register here for free.
Malt (formerly called Hopwork)
This site focuses on the direct relationship between company (outsourcer) and freelancers. It provides tools and services by facilitating inter-user communication, such as integrated messaging, billing, secure payment, but also escrow payment system. Thus, your protection starts from the validation of your quote towards the validation of the end of project, and the system automatically generates the invoice. The reviews, recommendations and notes after each completed project make it possible to build a strong reputation within the Malt community.
How to fully benefit from these platforms?
Although differences exist between these platforms, their functionality are quite similar.
How to find project
To find a project, the search function is available. A list of all the jobs matching the search will appear, along with few details required for each project. If a project interests a freelance, he can apply while indicating his bid. The employer can discuss with the freelancer via private messaging system. If he wants to hire the freelancer, he will confirm it by indicating that the project has started.
At the beginning, a new freelancer may have some difficulties to find a project. He must be content with low-income projects, keeping in mind that his goal is to build a solid reputation through the comments and positive ratings from the client so that he will likely want to work with him again in the future. The freelancer will then be able to easily find other “more interesting” projects, as long as he continues to provide high quality work and if the deadline is always respected.
Users can also benefit from paid services on the platforms. For example, through a paid account on freelancer.com, a freelancer can apply for more than eight offers per month, which is the limit for a free user.
Note: Mobile Applications are also available for Upwork and Freelancer.
Until Madagascar allows more online payment methods, freelancers and companies located in Madagascar can take advantage of these three major platforms: Upwork, Freelance, and Malt. Although on every platform, building a reputation in the community can be a challenge, this is necessary, especially for a freelancer. This will be the beginning of any success on these sites. And finally, to expand the scope, do not hesitate to register on more than one platform.
